HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — In his budget address on Tuesday, February 6, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a plan to invest $1.1 billion in new funding for Pennsylvania schools.

“It makes sure that no schools gets less than what they did last year as we drive these dollars out in a more equitable manner,” the Governor said.

Announcing the plan, the Governor highlighted key parts of his proposal including $900 million that will distributed under a new “adequacy formula.” Shapiro said this formula would be used “to ensure every school has the appropriate level of resources they need to serve their students.”

Additionally, Shapiro’s plan also includes a $50 million increase in special education funding as well as an additional $30 million towards pre-K programs to help recruit and retain teachers and get kids started.

He added that his proposal would also build on progress made during 2023 by continuing to fund universal free breakfast during the school year and funding the summer food service program.

“That’s something we should be proud of together. We should.” Shapiro said. “Think about this. at a time when some governors are eschewing federal funding that would ensure kids are well fed over the summer, we’ve already shown– Pennsylvania Republicans and Democrats alike — that we care about kids and that we’re willing to come together to feed them.”

Shapiro added that the budget would build on the down payment his administration made last year to fund school repairs by creating a $1.5 billion fund, including $300 million for school building repairs.

“We need to invest a lot more to help these districts maintain safe and healthy learning environments for students,” the governor said

Other highlights of Shapiro’s proposal include his plans to address student mental health, the ongoing teacher shortage in the state through additional investment in student teachers, and recruitment as well as the development of a toolkit to teach students and parents digital literacy.

In his address, Shapiro also said that he intends to revisit the issue of funding for charter schools, a controversial topic during last year’s budget talks.

“Our challenges around education aren’t going to be solved in one budget cycle, but we can make real progress toward a lasting, equitable solution. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do right by our kids. Let’s seize this moment,” he said.

Shapiro’s address also highlighted his plans to address issues facing young people after high school.

One of these included a proposal to create a new “Career Connect program” to connect employers with young people and create thousands of internships.

For people who choose college, Shapiro said his budget proposal includes a three part plan.

That plan, includes (1) uniting PASSHE schools with the state’s 15 community colleges and investing $975 million, a 15% increase from last year, into those schools; (2) increasing funding for state-related schools — Pitt, Penn State, and Temple — and the HBCU, Lincoln University by 5%; and (3) investing another $279 million towards offsetting costs for college students.

Under the new plan, Shapiro said, no student making the median income or below would pay more than $1,000 per semester for tuition and fees. The plan would also increase Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) grants for students by $1,000.

“It is time to build on this new blueprint for higher education in Pennsylvania and leave a lasting legacy on this Commonwealth,” he said. “Because if we can ensure that Pennsylvanians receive a great education, from Pre-K through an apprenticeship program all the way to college graduation, if we can give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed then the economic opportunity will follow.”

Gov. Shapiro on his changes to Pennsylvania education: